The Music of Betty Nieveen

- A Lifetime of Dreams

That Thing Called Swing

The "swing years" -- what a time for musicians to
express themselves during the jazz era!
I was fascinated with the music -- the
interpretations of the songs, the creativity, the
style and energy that went into that mysterious thing
called "swing".

My love of swing music paved the way for me to create
melodies. I could never copy the great composer's
work, because I would not know how. Music comes from
the heart and soul. You can feel it and live it, but
the entire process beyond creating the compositions
remains a mystery to me.

I decided I needed more than just a few melody notes
to make a song. I found a great chord instructor who helped me learn how to create lead sheets. From there, it was up to the arrangers, performers and publicists to take my compositions to the next level.

Besides my music, I live a full satisfying life. I
grew up on a farm, graduated from the University of
Nebraska at Lincoln, and taught school for a number
of years. I was married to a wonderful man, Arnold,
who passed away in 2001, and he left me a lifetime of
lasting memories. My three children have been most
supportive, and I am proud of my four grandchildren.